Background
The “Reliability Centered Maintenance”
(RCM) philosophy aims at preserving the functions of assets (as opposed to preserving physical assets) by recognizing that
the consequences of failure are more important than their technical characteristics. This philosophy became prominent during
the 1960’s in the commercial airline industry in response to increasing pressures on costs and a growing concern for technical
integrity. The RCM concept has since been applied in various industrial environments and is now widely recognized by maintenance
professionals as the most cost-effective way to develop world-class maintenance strategies.
|
|
Maintenance Training
Preventative Maintenance
Optimization requires corporations to take a new look at existing PM structures. Reliability Centered Maintenance is the
methodology designed specifically for this analysis. At its heart RCM is the organization of a common-sense approach into
a structured maintenance program. The goal of this program is to provide the required availability and reliability of complex
systems while optimizing maintenance expenditures.
There are several powerful tools in the RCM toolbox:
• RCM
Methodology, including System Definition and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis • Asset Management • Condition
Monitoring Applications • Work Management
The technological innovations that provided the automation and volume
production so necessary in today’s global marketplace have also resulted in an entirely new set of requirements for industrial
equipment maintenance. QC requirements tighten while equipment ages. The rise of environmental, safety, and regulatory mandates
result in preventative maintenance costs having a greater impact on the corporate bottom line. These challenges require a
new approach, that being the understanding and application of Reliability Centered Maintenance.
|
|
Maintenance Program Assessment
Wouldn't it
be great if all a Maintenance Team had to do was follow equipment manufacturers written PM guidelines? One primary reason
this simplistic approach does not work is the reality of different and often diverse goals. For the manufacturer the goals
usually concern controlling costs, whether these costs arise from customizing PM's for unique equipment or from getting that
equipment through the warranty period. For the end user, the goal is to preserve the integrity of the process that involves
the specific piece of equipment. Maintenance Program Assessment is a way to evaluate existing maintenance programs. Information
is gathered from three major sources:
1. Review of existing PM structure and tasks. 2. Interviews with maintenance
leaders and teams 3. Review of equipment manufacturers' PM recommendations.
The results can be surprising to those
involved. Existing PM's and the equipment manufacturers' recommendations are often conflicting. The Maintenance Team may
lack the assets to effectively implement their own PM structure, resulting in large backlogs and even 'lapping' of PM tasks.
Identifying these issues is a key step in PM optimization.
|
|
Computerized Maintenance Management System Implementation
When
faced with organizing PM’s Maintenance Leaders today have a large selection of CMMS programs from which to choose. From SAP
and E-Maintenance to shareware, all these programs have a basic requirement that PM tasks and data be properly formatted.
Initial interface with the program can range from manual task entry to spreadsheet data dumps. But to fully utilize these
powerful tools the PM analysis must be designed so that the final product is compatible with the chosen program. When it
is, features such as staggered maintenance task scheduling, required parts, and the integration of task procedures, tolerances,
and illustrations can be incorporated into the optimized PM system. Proper initial implementation is crucial in order to
take full advantage of these critical maintenance tools.
|
Mobile Workforce Implementation
Another powerful
set of tools for optimizing Computerized Maintenance Management Systems are hand-held PDA’s. PM tasks from the CMMS can be
input directly into the PDA, including all the parts and procedures information originally input into the task. There are
several benefits to this approach. The correct data need only be collected once; the technician does not have to gather the
data every time the task is performed. The technician is able to close out one work order and proceed to the next without
returning to a central office or terminal to transmit and collect information. It also facilitates the ability to record
as found / as left data for accurate and usable trending. Input of field data back into the CMMS program need not be a separate
task performed by the Maintenance Scheduler prior to closing out a work order.
|
Development and Implementation of Standardized Maintenance
Practices
Standardization of PM practices insures that the benefits of maintenance experiences are made available throughout
the organization. One very useful tool is the Maintenance Template. Templates are a way of organizing RCM data and creating
specific maintenance tasks based on equipment Function and Functional Failures. The information gleaned during Criticality
Analysis can be used as the basis for establishing task frequency, a critical step in PM Optimization. Failure Modes and
resulting Tasks are expanded to cover all variations of the equipment, allowing the analyst to ‘cherry pick’ the tasks that
apply to the specific piece being studied. Standardization also helps to insure that the format of identified maintenance
tasks remain consistent for input into a Computerized Maintenance Management System.
|
RCM Analysis Activities
Most businesses rely
on component-based maintenance methodologies that are limited in scope relative to a true RCM. The basis of this methodology
is the analysis of specific components to determine where they are susceptible to failure and what maintenance tasks could
prevent that failure. This analysis is valuable, but it is not the stand-alone foundation of an optimized PM program. System-based
RCM, while building upon existing component-based approaches, is a structured analysis of the specific operating context to
optimize the maintenance strategy. Key to the methodology is the identification of operating systems to establish a maintenance
strategy tailored to the specific operating context. Our methodology is supported by the ability to identify generic systems
within a complex asset base and the intellectual property rights on key asset data to help you select the most effective maintenance
tasks.
|